"Take every pair of pants you buy, including jeans, to him so that your bottoms are always the correct length."

Looking
your best is largely about figuring out which garments, cuts, color
combinations, and fabrics play up your best assets. Here we review what
you should add to (and what you can toss from) your closet if you have
a short body type. We’ve also included an easy-to-use guide so that the
next time you hit the stores, it will be crystal clear what you need to
stock up on in order to enhance your appearance.

A Short Body Type Defined

In
North America, a man is considered to have a short body type when his
height is 5'6" or less. With regards to frame, men with short body types
may be slim, muscular, athletic, or heavyset. A short body type also
means that either your legs or your torso are shorter than average.

Pros And Cons Of Dressing A Short Body

Dressing
any body type is always about accentuating what’s great about yourself
and downplaying features that you don’t love. In several ways, dressing a
short body type can be easier than one that’s very tall as it’s always
easier to have clothing shortened to fit you but it’s near impossible to
have garments lengthened. Additionally, shorter men are in luck these
days as shrunken coats and trimmer fits are not only back in vogue, but
appear to be here to stay in some form or another, making it easier to
find flattering,fashion-forward clothing. Particularly if you happen to
be lean, there are a wide variety of designers that produce clothing
suited to your body type. For example, to find really sharp,
sophisticated clothes, seek out European labels; for cool, urban
threads, look to Japanese designers who turn out style-conscious lines
that fit the proportions of their countrymen, who are on average
slightly shorter than their Western counterparts.

Having
a short body type often means, however, that mass-market clothes,
particularly those found in American chains, will be too large for you.
This clothing tends to be geared toward a restricted number of body
shapes, so finding your size in these stores will prove more difficult.
Additionally, the more you deviate from average height, the harder
clothes shopping will be.

Dress Your Body Type: The Guide

Fit

At
any size or height, the fit of a man’s clothing is the determining
factor in the impression his appearance leaves on others. Proper-fitting
clothes convey professionalism, good taste, attention to detail, and a
certain authority. Ill-fitting garments, alternatively, suggest
character traits such as sloppiness and laziness, even if you don’t
actually possess those qualities.

To
ensure your clothing belongs in the former category rather than the
latter, hunt down the services of a reputable tailor. Take every pair of
pants you buy, including jeans, to him so that your bottoms are always
the correct length. What you’re aiming for is to avoid any bunching at
the bottom and for your hemline to graze your shoes. Your pants should
also have a plain hem, as cuffs have the effect of breaking a smooth
seam, thus, visually cutting inches off your frame. At the store, forego
extremely tapered or baggy pants, opting instead for pants that sit
higher on your waist (without looking geeky) if you have short legs.
Choose lower-rise boot-cut or straight-leg pants if you have a short
torso relative to the rest of your body.

"The best ties for men are the thin ones, not the broad ones"

For
tops, begin by shopping for pieces that visually draw the eye up toward
your face. These include dress shirts with straight-point collars and
blazers with peak lapels. Avoid anything that focuses attention
downward, such as deep V-necks or double-breasted blazers and sweaters.
To help elongate a shorter torso, wear your shirts untucked whenever
possible. Shirt cuffs that are too long will have the unfortunate effect
of making you look like a boy, so ensure that only about half an inch
of your shirt cuff is visible when you’ve layered a button-down
underneath a blazer or sweater.

When
shopping for blazers and structured coats, favor those that are
ventless and cut short, meaning that they end at or just above the curve
of your butt, as this style will extend the line of your legs. Finally,
when in doubt, defer to your tailor and have your dress clothes custom
made. That way, your shirts will fit properly around your armpits and
you can also ask your tailor to set your breast pocket higher on your
blazers and your trouser pockets slightly lower for a superior,
elongated look.

Colors And Patterns

In terms of choosing colors and patterns for
short body types, what will look best on you may be more determined by
your weight and frame than your height. For example, short men can wear
stripes between one-quarter to three-quarters of an inch, with
wider-framed men wearing stripes spaced further apart. Short and stout
men should also stay away from heavily textured weaves like herringbone
or houndstooth, as they add bulk and draw the eye down, though slimmer
men shouldn’t feel shy about wearing these patterns. Dark, solid colors
will help heavyset men look slimmer while lighter colors are more
appropriate for lean men.

Regardless
of what the number on your scale says, however, there are a few points
related to color and pattern that short men can keep in mind. First,
whether you’re wearing dark or light colors, short men benefit from
wearing ensembles in which all the garments come from the same color
family as it creates a fluid, elongating line (this is called
monochromatic). More specifically, a stark contrast between your top and
bottom half is not recommended as it will visually cut you in half.
Finally, short men should wear shirts with small prints and patterns,
eschewing large windowpane checks or oversize plaid.

Dress Your Best: More Tips

Short men can also make use of a few
tricks in the accessories and grooming departments to help them look
their best. To begin with, simple accessories are better because they
won’t overwhelm your shape, and this uncluttered look will also keep
attention focused on your face. The best ties for short men are those
that are narrow or midsize rather than broad. Wide belts are also a
no-no for short men, so select narrower waistbands and belts. To
lengthen the vertical line of your body, you can experiment with hats,
dress shoes with a slight heel and short hairstyles. Finally, find
inspiration for how to dress and what to wear by checking out shots
of style icons from your grandfather’s generation, as they tended to be
shorter and you’ll learn a lot from their classy sense of style (FYI:
Sammy Davis, Jr. was 5'3").

Checklist: Your Wardrobe Staples

Two-button coats and blazers

Boot-cut or straight-leg jeans

Slim ties

Straight-point collar button-downs

Narrow belt

Single-breasted, ventless blazers

Sleek suits

Sweaters in thin fabrics

Leather jacket, motocross-style jackets or bomber jackets

Shoes and boots with ½” to 1” heel

It’s a rare man who can throw on virtually any outfit and seem
as though he just stepped out of a fashion spread, so if you’re like
most men, you know that a bit of effort is involved in achieving a
stylish look. Everyone has to take certain aspects of what they were
born with into account when dressing each morning and if you have a
short body type, now you know exactly what you need to do (or not do) to
make the most of yourself.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Happy New Year to all of you. I belief all of you had nice holidays.God Bless!It is 20912 and obvious we are around to help you stay on top of your game fashion wise.Most of my friends have been emailing asking about various questions which i now have taken time to answer.

Q:
Jeans, we all love them, don't we? Thing is, I'm more on the leaner
side here, and as much as they suit me, I think skinny jeans make me
look, well, skinny! My favorite pair is a boot cut, but that can't be
worn everywhere. What's your take on jeans for the thin & tall
male specimen?

A:
This may come as a surprise, but the only thing making you look skinny
is swimming in needlessly big boot cut jeans. You’ll be pleased to know,
however, that a sea of silhouettes exists between baggy and barely
there. We recommend the trusty old straight leg -- it never shows its age and works for every guy regardless of shape or size.

Q: Most belts seem to be for either rockers/musicians or businessmen. What are the signs of a good casual belt?

It’s
true that denim-friendly belts can be hard to find. The good part is
you only need two: 1) One in brown, roughly an inch-and-half wide; and
2) A D-ring ribbon belt in a color of your choice. And unless you own a
ranch or a race-car track, buckles should always be simple.

Q:
What are your thoughts on why it's becoming so popular to wear a point
or spread collar without a tie instead of a button-down? I feel like
whenever I'm not wearing a tie, and I wear a shirt that isn't a
button-down, it looks like I'm trying to do my best impression ofMiami Vice.

A:
Perhaps that’s because you’re wearing your point-collar shirts with a
white double-breasted suit and snakeskin loafers? Although there’s
nothing wrong with a collar that’s bolted down, the British have
long-known that the spread collar means business. It also happens to
flatter every guy -- especially if you’re packing some extra pounds. It
is even evident in the soccer just how fashion is on top of its game
with every manager trying his level best to dress properly.

Q:
I've always had a penchant for faux-hawks, more of a Ryan Seacrest
kinda thing going on here. But I'm tired of it. Any suggestions?

A:
In case you haven’t noticed, even Seacrest swapped his old-fashioned
faux-hawk for a more modern coif. Ironically, what’s considered hip hair
these days is actually a throwback to a more gentlemanly time: a simple
side part created with a water-based putty product and the best styling
tool known to man: your hands

Q:
I used to think dressing up in a black suit with a black tie was the
only way to wear a suit. Fast forward to the present, and now I have a
few clothes I'm proud of. I don't have much, because well, not only am I
unemployed but I'm also 17 years old, so its near damn impossible. Now
that winter is coming up, where is a good place to find affordable
scarves?

A:
Don’t worry, kid. Budget-conscious scarves abound. For warmer climes,
look for cotton and linen ones long enough to layer loosely around the
neck. Colder weather calls for super soft merino wool -- the poor man’s
proxy for cashmere. On a side note, we’re glad to hear you’re heeding
our advice at such an impressionable young age.

Q:
I really like dressing formal, especially suits and all. The thing is,
my tailor says the length of my coats should be equal to my sleeve, but i
think its a little too long on the torso. What I want to know here is,
how high from the fork should the coat be?

A:
Looks like your tailor is subscribing to an old rule of thumb: let the
jacket journey to a point where your hands can cup the bottom. For suits
made in this century, you just need to get the jacket to cover your
ass.